Select Exercises For Each Muscle Group

 

When selecting exercises, you'll want to target all the major muscle groups for a balanced workout. Here are some great exercise options to choose from:

 

Chest

- Barbell Bench Press 

- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

- Push-ups

- Cable Crossovers

 

Back

- Barbell Rows

- Lat Pulldowns 

- Seated Cable Rows

- Chin-ups

 

Shoulders

- Overhead Press

- Lateral Raises 

- Front Raises

- Rear Delt Flyes 

 

 Biceps

- Barbell Curls

- Dumbbell Curls

- Hammer Curls

- Cable Curls

 

 Triceps

- Close Grip Bench Press

- Overhead Tricep Extensions

- Tricep Pushdowns

- Dips

 

 Legs

- Squats

- Leg Press

- Leg Extensions

- Leg Curls

 

 Calves

- Standing Calf Raises

- Seated Calf Raises

 

Pick 1-2 exercises from each muscle group above to target in your workout routine. Try to vary the exercises over time to hit the muscles from different angles and prevent adaptation.

 

Determine Number of Sets and Reps

 

When designing your workout routine, you'll need to determine the number of sets and reps for each exercise. This will impact the overall training volume and your ability to progressively overload the muscles.

 

In general, the following rep ranges are recommended for different goals:

 

- Strength: 1-5 reps per set. Focus on lifting heavy weights to build maximal strength. Take longer rest periods between sets.

 

- Hypertrophy (muscle growth): 6-12 reps per set. Lift moderately heavy weights to fatigue the muscles. Shorter rest periods to increase volume.

 

- Endurance: 13-20 reps per set. Use lighter weights and higher reps to increase muscular endurance. Very short rest periods.

 

For beginners, it's often recommended to start with 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise to focus on technique and adapting to resistance training.

 

More advanced lifters may benefit from periodization - changing the rep ranges throughout your mesocycle to continually shock the muscles in new ways. For example, focusing on lower reps and heavier weights during one phase, then higher reps and more metabolic training in another phase.

 

Pay attention to how many hard sets you do per muscle group. Research suggests doing around 10-20 hard sets per muscle group weekly is optimal for muscle growth. Hard sets are those performed close to failure with good technique.

 

Track your sets and reps to gradually increase volume and overload over time. Avoid increasing volume too quickly to minimize injury risk and overtraining. Consistency over time is key.

 

 Allow For Proper Rest and Recovery


 


Rest and recovery are just as important as the workouts themselves when it comes to building muscle and strength. Without adequate rest, your body will not be able to fully recover and adapt to the stress of exercise.

 

It's crucial to take at least 1-2 rest days per week where you do no strength training for a given muscle group. This gives your muscles, tendons, and central nervous system a chance to rebuild and super compensate so you can come back stronger for the next workout.

 

In addition to rest days, it's also wise to periodically incorporate deload weeks where you intentionally reduce the volume and intensity of your workouts by 30-50%. Deloads help dissipate accumulated fatigue and allow your body to recharge.

 

Aim to take a deload week every 4-8 weeks of consistent training. You may find you need deloads more frequently as a beginner compared to an advanced lifter. Listen to your body - if you feel drained, fatigued, and sore all the time, it's definitely time for a deload.

 

Don't neglect rest and recovery if you want to make consistent gains. Having patience is key - building muscle and strength is a long term process. Avoid the temptation to do too much too soon. Your body needs time to adapt in between training sessions.

 

 Schedule and Track Your Workouts

 

Keeping a schedule and tracking your workouts is crucial to ensure consistency and progress over time. Here are some tips:

 

- Use a calendar app or paper calendar to map out your workout days and rest days in advance. This helps commit your workout schedule to memory and turn it into a habit.

 

- Log each workout in a notebook or workout tracking app like Fitbod or Jefit. These apps make it easy to track sets, reps, and weights used each session.

 

- Note your energy, motivation, sleep, nutrition and any aches/pains for each workout. This helps identify patterns and areas for improvement.

 

- Take progress photos every 4-8 weeks - visual changes in your physique serve as great motivation.

 

- Weigh yourself once a week if muscle gain or fat loss is a goal - but don't get discouraged by normal fluctuations.

 

- Review your workouts every 4 weeks. Look for opportunities to progressively increase weight/reps or add new challenging exercises.

 

- Schedule deload weeks every 6-8 weeks where you intentionally reduce your workload to allow your body to fully recover.

 

- Listen to your body and be flexible - if you need an extra rest day, take it. It's better than overtraining and risking injury or burnout.

 

Consistency and tracking is key. By diligently scheduling your workouts, logging each session, and reviewing progress overtime you'll be able to achieve your fitness goals.

 

Progress and Adjust Over Time

 

As you follow your workout routine, you'll gain strength, endurance, and muscle over time. It's important to continue challenging yourself by progressively increasing the difficulty of your workouts. Here are some ways to progress:

 

Add Weight



 

For exercises like squats, deadlifts, rows, and presses, gradually increase the amount of weight you lift over time. Aim to add 2-10 lbs per exercise every 1-4 weeks once you can comfortably perform all reps with good form. This is key for building strength and muscle.

 

Increase Reps

 

If you cannot yet increase weight on an exercise, add 1-2 reps per set every 1-2 weeks. Once you hit the top of your rep range for all sets, then you can increase weight. Adding reps boosts endurance and muscle growth.

 

Add Sets

 

Another progressive overload technique is to add sets for each exercise over time. For example, increase from 3 sets to 4 sets per exercise. This increases your total training volume to spur continued gains.

 

Reduce Rest Times

 

As your conditioning improves, gradually reduce the rest time between sets over time. Shorter rests increase training density and intensity. Aim for 30-90 seconds rest between sets for hypertrophy.

 

Try Advanced Variations

 

Once an exercise becomes too easy, switch to a more challenging advanced variation to place new overload on your muscles. Examples include rotating between barbell, dumbbell, machine, cable, and bodyweight versions of exercises.

 

Making small, incremental progressions over time prevents training plateaus and ensures you get continual benefits from your workout routine. Adjust the program as needed based on your current recovery abilities, goals, and progress.

 

Sample Beginner Full Body Routine

 

A full body routine works major muscle groups in each workout, allowing beginners to train each muscle group 3 times per week. This helps build an overall strength base while introducing your body to weight training.

 

A sample beginner full body split could look like:

 

 Workout A

 

- Squats - 3 sets of 8-12 reps

- Bench Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps 

- Bent Over Rows - 3 sets of 8-12 reps

- Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps

- Bicep Curls - 2 sets of 10-12 reps

- Tricep Pushdowns - 2 sets of 10-12 reps

- Calf Raises - 2 sets of 15-20 reps

 

Workout B

 

- Deadlifts - 3 sets of 5-8 reps

- Incline Bench Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps

- Lat Pulldowns - 3 sets of 8-12 reps

- Lateral Raises - 3 sets of 10-15 reps

- Hammer Curls - 2 sets of 10-12 reps

- Tricep Extensions - 2 sets of 10-12 reps

- Plank - 3 sets of 30-60 seconds

 

Workout C

 

- Squats - 3 sets of 8-12 reps

- Overhead Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps

- Seated Rows - 3 sets of 8-12 reps

- Lunges - 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg

- Preacher Curls - 2 sets of 10-12 reps

- Dips - 2 sets of 10-12 reps

- Crunches - 2 sets of 15-20 reps

 

Start with 2 full body workouts per week, then increase to 3 once you adapt. Take at least 1 day of rest between workouts. Progress load and volume over time as you get stronger.